1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a mobile robot and an operating method thereof.
2. Background
A mobile robot is an apparatus which autonomously travels about an area to be cleaned and sucks in foreign substances, such as dust, from the floor to automatically clean the area. The mobile robot has a rechargeable battery, freely moves using operating power of the battery, and if needed, returns to a charging station so as to recharge the battery.
In general, such a mobile robot performs an obstacle avoidance operation by sensing a distance from a piece of furniture, office supplies, and/or a wall, etc., within a cleaning area, and controlling a drive to a left wheel and a right wheel. The mobile robot measures a moving distance through a sensor observing a ceiling or a floor or includes obstacle sensors. As the obstacle sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor is used.
If such a sensor is used, some degree of accuracy in sensing whether or not there is an obstacle in the direction of a traveling path is possible, but reliable accuracy in sensing a distance from an obstacle or sensing a floor condition in a cleaning area, such as a cliff or a steep drop (e.g., stairs), may not be accurately detected and an error due to such distance recognition occurs. Even if the mobile robot generates a map and travels based on the map, the mobile robot does not store data regarding a path through which the mobile robot has passed and does not cope with sudden path change.